Schools in Texas become flood “relief hub” to welcome students back: “It’s OK to be OK” | Texas Flood 2025

Schools in parts of Texas reopened two months earlier than planned this summer. But the reason is tragic.

They were transformed into a “relief hub” to welcome volunteers whose efforts helped to cope with the devastating flooding in the state. Now, with most of the classes in Texas recovering, classrooms have moved from temporary emergency centers to learning places, but that’s not to say that memories of what’s lost will be tied to the community indefinitely.

“In the days to come, we will continue to work together to support our neighbors and help our community recover after this incident,” said Sarah Nichols, principal of Hunter School in Kerr County, Central Texas.

“Our school is a beacon of hope, service and resilience.”

Hunter School, which serves elementary and middle school students, joins several other students in the affected areas of Texas, as a hub for relief and recovery during the earliest periods of flash flooding. The flood began on the weekend of July 4, killing at least 135 people, including many children. Authorities are still searching for more than 100 missing persons.

By the third day of the flood, the hunting campus was recast into a fully functional shelter that provides food, showers and safe housing for more than 150 people at a time. It has also become an operational center for multiple organizations including Reach Global, Rubicon and Ariel Recovery teams. Volunteers are committed to stocking and distributing search and recovery supplies and fueling first responders.

“The community is outstanding. If people are not affected by the flood, they are doing everything they can to help those people.” said Thomas McAvoy, one of the volunteers of the Rubicon Team, a humanitarian group in veteran humanitarian organizations, who has been staying at Hunt School during his rehabilitation work.

“For the kids who are back in school, I’ll say thank you first,” McAvoy added. “We were allowed into your space and the few interactions we had with you, you guys are amazing. I know it’s a life-changing event, but as survivors it makes you stronger and I know you’re going to do great things to help that happen again.”

With staff returning to Hunter campus on August 11 and returning students on August 20, the turnaround task of bringing the building back to its original purpose is important. By the end of July, the school remained a shelter, with classrooms acting as sleeping areas for beds and cribs for board members, serving as supply rooms for donated goods.

“This is not a normal function for schools preparing for the new semester, but the times require extraordinary measures,” said Oscar Arauco, another Rubicon volunteer stationed at the school.

“Volunteers sweep, vacuum, move and help restore classrooms and facilities so that Hunter School can quickly restore its main mission: educating children.”

In times of natural disasters, it is not uncommon for schools to act as relief stations given their amenities such as cafeterias, gyms, showers and locker rooms.

Back in 2017, Hurricane Harvey swept Caribbean Sea and Texas and Louisiana, USA, at least $9 billion damage to property and livelihoods and kill dozens of people. The storm was created Log in In August 2017, 200 miles from Houston, it stagnated for four days, with up to 60 inches of rain falling in parts of the metropolitan area. The Houston school then changed its mission to serve Shelter For displaced students and their families

Austin, Dallas and other schools in El Paso follow quickly Setproviding safe haven for those facing long-term displacement. The semester dates for students returning to school in these areas must even be restored to September 5.

Hunter School is not alone in this disaster, and its mission turns its space into a thriving volunteer hub. Ingram Tom Moore High School serves older children through grades 9-12 in Ingram, Texas. In the days after the flood, the school became a hub where anyone who distributes supplies to affected persons would collect their goods.

“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our community and are lucky enough to operate in this capacity,” a school representative wrote on Facebook. postal. “Ingram ISD continues to maintain our community and everyone is affected by this tragedy in our prayers.”

But for Hunter School and others in Texas, perhaps the biggest task is not hard volunteer work, or even the labor to restore these institutions to education. Now, how an important barrier educator nationwide deals with children in schools that have experienced this tragedy. How to deal with loss and grief through such a young age.

“One of the biggest challenges will be to balance the needs of continuing to develop our students academically while also meeting their social and emotional needs,” said President Nichols.

“Together we will make sure our students and their families need the support, resources and care they need at school and at home to feel safe, valuable and ready to learn. Our approach will be rooted in compassion, understanding, and flexibility to know that healing is as important as academic growth this season.”

according to CNNof the 135 flood victims, there are two Hunter’s youngest students. In nearby Kerrville, a teacher and coach, as well as his entire family, were also killed.

In other regions, youth deaths are higher. Mystic Camp, a women’s summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Texas, confirmed that 27 children and counselors died in the flood.

Another Hunter School volunteer, Jennifer Nieder, said that starting the school year, what she would say to the kids was “You have an incredible community and we are lucky to be able to spend time with you.”

Asked about the challenge of their possible loss of a loved one, Ned said, “It’s OK, it’s OK.” She added, “Talk to your friends. Talk to your parents. Talk to your teacher.”